Burning Bright
by iicaughtfire
Summary: Crystal doesn't speak. She hasn't spoken a word in over two years. Her mother not knowing what else to do sends Crystal to live her Uncle, Charlie, and her cousin ,Bella, hoping it will help Crystal. The only thing that can help her is a certain werewolf.
1. The New Start

I stood in the middle of the crowded airport holding the straps of my backpack tightly. People shoved past me trying to get to their loved ones or just to get out of this place. I wished I could do that right. I felt so uncomfortable being around all these people by myself, I almost wanted to cry. Instead I quickly made my way over to one of the plastic chairs and stood on top of it hoping I would be able to spot my cousin easily as she was the one picking me up.

I was to be living with her and my uncle for the remainder of my schooling. My mother had decided that I was too much of a problem child so instead of her having to deal me with me, she left it up to her brother. It still bothered me as to why she thought I was so much trouble. My grades may not have been that great but at least I wasn't failing. I never went out to parties or anything. I just never went anywhere, period. I never said anything wrong but then again I never spoke. It must have been about two years now since I've said anything. Was that it?

Suddenly feeling like an idiot I jumped down from the chair. I craned my neck over all the heads in my way but I still couldn't find her. Panic was starting to strike through my body and it made my breathing ragged. What if my mother never told them I was coming? What if I was just sent away so I wouldn't be a burden to anyone?

Tears began welling up in my eyes and I was about to run to whatever exit I could find when I suddenly heard someone calling my name. I looked over toward where I heard the sound and saw a very fragile looking girl walking toward me.

_Oh thank heavens it's Bella. _I let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Crystal. I'm glad I finally found you. You must have been worried," she said, hugging me.

I just shrugged my shoulders when she let me go. Looking behind her I noticed a brown haired boy with his arm slung over Bella protectively. I gazed at his face and noticed he was gorgeous. Every feature about him was perfect. I looked at his eyes and noticed they were a pretty topaz color but there was something else in them. It looked like they held…confusion?

I lifted an eyebrow and I looked back at Bella. She smiled at me and placed her hand on the chest of the boy.

"Crystal, this is Edward. He's my boyfriend," she introduced. "Edward this is my cousin, Crystal."

"Pleased to meet you," Edward said, smiling softly. He still looked at me confused.

"Oh, um, Crystal doesn't speak by the way. I'm sorry I should have said something earlier." Bella's eyes dropped and her cheeks flushed.

Mine were burning and I looked down at my shoes hoping to hide it.

"Ah, I see," Edward said as if he understood.

Bella gave an awkward cough and grabbed my hand.

"C'mon let's go grab the rest of your luggage, okay?" She said leading me off into the crowd. Edward followed beside Bella holding onto her other hand.

A couple minutes later we were standing in front of a conveyer belt watching as suitcases slid by.

"Which is yours?" Edward asked me staring at the machine.

I looked at all the luggage trying to find mine but I couldn't see it. I almost began wondering if maybe they had sent it to some other flight and it was in Mexico right now. I was soon proven wrong when I saw three purple suitcases enter onto the little belt. I pointed to them and Edward nodded going to retrieve them. I followed him figuring he wouldn't be able to carry them all but to my astonishment he grabbed them all with ease.

"Shall we go?" he said with a polite smile.

I nodded my head and followed him toward where I assumed was the exit with Bella at my side. We walked out the sliding doors and into the parking lot stopping at a shiny Volvo. Bella unlocked the doors and opened the trunk and Edward placed by bags in. It started drizzling and we all got into the car right before it started pouring.

"Welcome to Forks," Bella said looking back at me and rolling her eyes.

I just laughed quietly and looked over toward Edward. He was driving now but I caught his gaze looking at me from the rear view mirror. His brows were furrowed as if he was trying hard to concentrate on something. When he noticed I was looking back at him he quickly averted his eyes.

_What's with this guy? _I wondered.

Suddenly Edward jumped ever so slightly in his seat and he looked at me again confused.

"Are you alright?" Bella asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he stated and continued driving.

The rest of the ride was silent. Or at least I'm assuming it was. I fell asleep ten minutes into the drive and when I awoke we were in front of Bella's house. Edward had grabbed my bags again and Bella was motioning me to follow her.

When I walked in Charlie was sitting on the couch watching a basketball game but he immediately got up once he noticed Bella and me.

"Hey, Crystal, it's great to see you again," he said giving me an awkward hug. I smiled politely back at him.

"Why don't you have Bellz show you to your room?" he offered going back to watching the game.

Bella took my hand again and led me down a small hallway with a door opened. It was a small bedroom with only a bed, closet and dressers along with a window looking out toward the woods. Edward had already set my bags in the room but I wasn't sure where he was now.

"Well this is where you will be staying," Bella said standing beside the door frame. "Sorry it's a little small."

I shook my head to show that it was fine and walked in. I st on the bed and noticed that it was extremely comfy. I couldn't wait to fall asleep on it tonight.

"Okay so I'm going to start on dinner. Want to help?" she offered, starting toward the kitchen.

I jumped up and followed her. I wanted to help out as much as I could if I was staying here. The last thing I wanted was to be a burden and I'm sure Bella would appreciate me helping her cook and clean.

I walked into the kitchen to find Bella getting out a packet of ground chuck and on the counter sat a box of macaroni and cheese. I decided to get started on that and let Bella handle the meat. I usually ended up burning it.

As I looked around for a pot the phone rang.

"Hello," Bella greeted, picking it up.

There was silence for a moment as the other person spoke and then Bella's tone become aggravated.

"No, Jake, don't. I'm telling you- " her sentence was cut off and she angrily threw the phone done.

I was utterly confused by the conversation but thought nothing of it. It wasn't business to get into so I went back to finding a pot.

Finally I found one and walked it over to the sink to fill it with water. Edward had come into the room now and was whispering to Bella. I turned my back away from them to give them some privacy.

Suddenly someone barged through the door and was shouting.

"Now you listen here, Bella," a guy shouted, stomping into the kitchen.

I was startled and I jumped causing the pot to clatter to the floor and the water to splash everywhere. Quickly I bend down to retrieve it and when I looked back up the boy whom I assumed was the one to storm into Bella's house was staring at me. My cheeks started burning from embarrassment. This guy was pretty handsome. He had russet colored skin, brown eyes, and longish black hair. Not too mention he wasn't wearing a shirt showing off his perfect abs. Great, I just made myself look like a total idiot in front of him.

I'm not sure why but he stared at me for a good minute. Was I that amusing to watch? I mean, yeah, I did drop the pot and caused water to pour all over me. Thank Merlin I was wearing a black long sleeve shirt. Still, why was he looking at me as if he would fall off the face off the earth?

_Please, stop staring. Please, stop staring. _I begged inside my head.

Finally Edward took a step toward him and spoke.

"Jacob? May I have a word, please?" Edward asked politely but there was still an edge in his voice.

"Shut up, leech," Jacob replied still staring at me.

Jacob started walking towards me and it felt like my whole body was on fire. It felt nice though I was sure my cheeks were a bright tomato red. He put his hand under my elbow and slowly lifted me up, staring into my eyes. I was entranced by his eyes and a part of me felt like I would melt away if I stared any longer and the other part thought I would shatter if I looked away. So I stood there with the fire running through my body as his eyes bore into mine.

Suddenly Bella was by my side, pulling me a step away from Jacob.

"Uh, Jake, Crystal doesn't talk," she said, sounding as if she didn't want him to talk to me at all.

"That's cool," he said, his eyes still gazing at me.

"Jacob, I need to talk to you now," Edward demanded, this time walking out of the room.

Jacob finally tore his gaze from mine to glare at where Edward at been and started walking out. He shot a glance back at me and mouthed _I'll be back._Once he was out the door I felt the fire was gone and I was cold.

Bella took my hands and I looked over at her. She was biting her lip and she looked worried. I rubbed my thumb over her hand as if to ask what was wrong.

"I'm sorry Crystal. A lot has just happened and I'll explain everything later, okay? Right now I should probably go talk with Jacob and Edward. I'll be back in a couple minutes." Bella said, dropping my hands and walking out the same way the guys had gone.

I was confused again but I didn't want to think about it. Thinking usually made me do things that got me into trouble. Instead I decided to busy myself with making dinner. The first thing I did was clean up my mess. It wasn't until I dropped the pot again I noticed I was shaking.


	2. It Burns Within Me

I followed Edward out of the house reluctantly. We passed Charlie, who was asleep on the couch. I wondered (for like a second) how he could sleep through all the noise I made, but then my thoughts wandered back to Crystal.

It was obvious what had just happened but I never thought it would happen to me. With my thoughts usually wrapped up in Bella I never imagined I could notice another girl. I wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing. All I knew was that I wanted to be around her again. As soon I as I looked at her this fire started erupting inside me. I could see exactly all these golden strings intertwining around me, pinning me down to the core of universe and all because of Crystal.

I was so enraptured by my thoughts I wasn't aware we had made it outside till I felt raindrops on my head. I also hadn't noticed how close Edward was standing toward till his stench started burning my nose.

"Ugh!" I yelled, pushing myself away from him. "Haven't you ever heard of deodorant?"

"Haven't you ever heard of a bath, dog?" Edward shot back coolly.

Before I could retort with a comment about him taking a bath in holy water, Bella had come running out of the house.

"What just happened in there?" she demanded, standing next to the leech.

Honestly, I'll never be able to understand why she can bother to be around him. For once, I don't think I really care.

"Isn't it clearly evident," Edward replied, smirking at me, "Little Jake has finally imprinted."

For a moment Bella looked happy and she even smiled at me. It dropped as soon as realization hit.

"Wait, you imprinted on my cousin?" she asked in disbelief.

"No, on Charlie," I said, rolling my eyes. "You know how I like those manly men."

I was hoping she would laugh but her expression seemed outrageous and almost mad.

"Jake, you can't!" she all but screamed, walking over to stand in front of me.

"Uh, yea, I kind of can't do anything about that. Bella, what's wrong. I thought you'd be happy."

" I'm not. Well, I am but," she let out sigh. "Jake, you can't tell her."

Anger started flaring up inside me. How could Bella be acting this way? She doesn't have much of a say in this and she acting like it's something horrible just because it's her cousin.

"What do you want me to do? Not see her? That's not fair and I don't think you have much say in it." I started growling.

"I don't have much say in it?" Bella started, her voice rising, "She's my cousin, Jake, I think I have a lot of say in it."

By now Edward had come to stand in between us and it took all I had to not rip his throat out.

"Calm down, Jacob," Edward said sternly.

_ Don't you fucking tell me to calm down, you filthy bloodsucker._

"Just listen to me, okay?" He was annoyed now. So was I.

_Stay out of my head!_

"Oh, I wish I could," he muttered under his breath before turning to face Bella. "Love, it truly isn't fair to keep Jacob away from Crystal, no matter how irritating he is."

_Oh I'll give you irritating. This is the song that never ends, it will go on and on my friend…_

"Shut up, dog, I'm trying to help you," Edward hissed. "Why wouldn't you want Crystal to know?"

Bella looked down at her feet and started playing with the hem of her shirt. It was a good minute before she answered and I was really growing agitated.

"It's not that I don't want Crystal to know," she finally said looking back up at Edward and me. " I just don't want her to know right now. I don't know how she would deal with it. She might get freaked out. I mean it is kind of weird"

"And hanging out with a vampire is totally normal, right?" I retorted.

"Jake, you don't understand. Crystal is going through a lot of difficult things. She doesn't talk, she hardly sleeps and eats," her voice took on a softer tone just above a whisper. "Her mom sent her here because she thought Crystal was going to kill herself."

I think my heart almost stopped beating. I couldn't think for a moment. The only thing I wanted to do was run back inside and make sure Crystal was still breathing. I wanted to hold her in my arms and protect her. I had to make everything okay for her.

"Bella, you know I would never hurt her," I promised. "I'll do anything to make her happy and I'll always make sure she's safe"

"I know you would," she whispered again. "I just don't want her to know right. For now anyways. You can see her but only if she wants to see you too."

"Pfft, who wouldn't want to see this sexy thing," I joked, attempting to lighten the mood. "But seriously, I won't tell her…yet. Instead I'll just come by everyday. Starting tomorrow."

I meant every word too. I would start hanging around more and hopefully Crystal will want to be around me. It just might be a great not saying anything about my imprinting. Maybe it will make everything seem almost normal.

I started walking back toward my car figuring we had finished with this conversation but the leech just had to call me back.

"No so fast, Jake, come back for a sec," he ordered. "There's something I've been needing to tell Bella and you should probably know to."

I groaned and started trudging back toward him. I'm probably going to have to stick my nose in dung later to get rid of his awful stench.

_ If this is the fact that you're gay, I've already known.  
_  
"It's about Crystal." He stated.

My ears perked up and I almost bounded over to him.

"Tell me," I demanded.

Edward nodded his head and began talking.

"I can't quit read her thoughts-"

"Like you can't with me?" Bella asked.

"Not exactly. I can't hear Bella at all and with Crystal I can only hear certain things. Almost likes she's choosing what I can hear."

"Lucky her," I muttered. "But what does that mean?"

"I don't know. It could be nothing but I would like to see if the others have the same problem," he began but I jumped in.

"Whoa, I don't want your gang of bloodsuckers around Crystal treating her like some experimental rat! Besides one of them would probably start trying to drink her blood."

"My _family_ would never do something like that to her, unlike your pack of wild animals that could attack her at any minute!" Edward started growling as if he was going to attack.

_Bring it you dirty leach!_

I started growling back and my body was shaking violently as if I was going to transform. That'd just make it all the easier to tear his throat out.

"Guys, stop!" Bella shouted, jumping in the middle of us. "Jake, Edward was only suggesting something that could help figure Crystal out."

I growled back a response. "See like I said. Treating her like some experiment."

"Jacob I think it's time for you to go home," Bella said gentler. "You can come back tomorrow and see Crystal."

"I don't know how comfortable I feel leaving her with a vampire around."

"For your information, dog," Edward growled, "I'm going hunting tomorrow but don't think I won't be able to tell when you're up to something.

_What the fuck ever_.

I turned my back and this time I ran into my car. The only reason I was doing this was so I could see Crystal tomorrow. I don't think they would appreciate it if I turned Edward to ashes. Well Crystal probably wouldn't care it had been Edward but she might get scared by me after that.

After starting the car up I floored it to La Push. The only thing I wanted to do right now was run in my wolf form. And maybe brag to the others Crystal.


	3. Keep Me Warm

Hey guys so I should have mentioned this before  
This story takes place during Eclipse  
So Bella and Edward havent Graduated yet  
and Victoria is coming soon  
if you don't know who that is  
Get out  
okay dont really

Oh and this is story is also going to go back in fourth between  
Crystal and Jacob's POV  
yea that wasn't just a one time thing

Anyways enjoy =)

* * *

Burning Bright 03  
**Keep Me Warm**  
_**  
Crystal's Point Of View**_

* * *

It was night now and everyone was asleep except me. Outside it was pouring down raining and my room was freezing. I wasn't used to the cold weather. Underneath my blankets I wore sweatpants, a sweatshirt and fuzzy socks, yet I couldn't stop my shaking. My teeth were clattering so hard it hurt my head. Every so often, I would slip into a bit of sleep only to be woken again by the bitter cold.

Finally, morning arrived and I felt frozen. I suffered a sneezing fit as I sat up and once I blew my nose I wandered into the living room with my purple and black blanket wrapped around me. My head was pounding, my nose was running and my body felt sore. I collapsed onto the couch and rolled into a little ball to savor any body heat I might have had left. I heard footsteps approaching me but to my poor head, it felt more like a heard of stampeding elephants.

"Good morning, Crystal," Bella greeted, a small smile on her face. However, as soon as she saw my appearance, concern took over her face.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked, coming over to feel my forehead. I just shook my head weakly.

"Wow, Crystal, you're burning up!"

_Funny, I feel so cold_.

"I'll go make you some hot tea."

She walked off into the kitchen to prepare my tea when the phone rang. I buried my head in the couch cushion, trying to block out the noise.

"Hello?" she answered, "Um, sure, I guess if you really need me… Okay I'll be there soon."

I heard her hang up and just as she did, the phone rang again. I groaned and tried burying my head in more but to no avail.

"Hello?" her voice was a tad aggravated this time. "I'm about to step out and Crystal is sick… Well that's up to her… Hang on… Hey, Crystal?" I heard her voice say over me. I looked up to see her standing beside me with the phone over her chest.

"I have to go into work and Jake wants to know if he can come over. Are you okay with that?"

My cheeks started burning and I stared down into my lap. Finally, I nodded my head as a yes. I wasn't sure why he wanted to come over or why I wanted him to. It didn't matter now because he was coming over anyways.

"She said yes… Okay see you in a few then," she hung up the phone and went to put it back on the receiver.

"I'm going to go take a shower and get ready. Will you be fine by yourself for a while?"

I nodded my head again and she walked up stairs.

It felt like I was lying on that couch for hours (though it was only fifteen minutes). No matter what position I was in my body still throbbed. I kept trying to get warm but to no avail. I was so uncomfortable and in so much pain, I wasn't sure what to do.

Finally, I heard the front door open and when I looked up Jake was walking through. I felt that fire in the pit of my stomach again, or perhaps it was just my illness. Either way I couldn't stop my cheeks blushing. Hopefully my face was already red enough that he wouldn't be able to tell.

As he walked over to me, I noticed he was holding a plastic bag and I stared curiously at it wondering what it was for.

"Hey Crystal," he said, his voice sounding like music, "Bella told me you were sick, so I thought I would bring over some get well stuff for you to…well get well," he finished off with a chuckle and sat the bag down and then sat next to me.

"Okay so I got ramen noodles and tea for you, as well as the first five DVDs of Harry Potter…oh, and a bunch of take out menus just in case you feel better later and want something different." He smiled over at me and I couldn't help but smile back. It didn't last long though because my head was killing me again. It hurt so bad the only thing I could do was close my eyes, hold my head, and hope it would all go away.

Next thing I know I felt another hand on my forehead. I opened my eyes back up to see Jake feeling my forehead, a look of concern on his face.

"You're burning up," he stated, and then he grabbed my hand. His flesh burned against mine but I just assumed it was because I was cold. "But you're freezing every where else. I'll go make you some tea and soup. You haven't eaten anything yet have you?"

I shook my head to imply that I hadn't. Bella was supposed to have made me tea earlier but she never did.

Jacob reached in the bag and pulled out a box of tea bags and a packet of ramen and then got up to go into the kitchen.

"You can put a movie in if you want," he said over his shoulder.

I pulled the bag up beside me and looked in it. Jacob really did have all five of the Harry Potter's and they were all still wrapped up with the price tag on it. I hope he hadn't bought these for me. I spied a receipt behind one of the DVDs and pulled it out.  
On it was the price of the box of tea bags, three ramen noodle packages and all the DVDs. He _had_ bought them for me. My stomach started doing back flips at the thought that he was being so nice to me. I smiled to myself and pulled out the first movie. While I was opening it, Bella came down the stairs freshly showered and wearing her work shirt.

"Hey Crystal is Jake here?" she asked, while putting her jacket on.

I nodded my head and pointed to the kitchen.

"Ah well make sure he doesn't burn the house down then. Anyways I'll probably be late getting home. Angela wants me to stop by and help her with math homework. Charlie should be home by six or so though. And you'll be fine with Jacob?" she asked walking towards the door.

I nodded my head again and got up to go put the DVD in the player.

"Okay then I'll see you tonight." And with that she walked out the door.

I finally started the movie and was curled back up on the couch when Jacob came in holding a bowl of soup in one hand and a cup of hot tea in the other. As soon as I smelled the noodles, my stomach started growling. I hadn't realized I was that hungry. I guess Jacob heard it because he started laughing.

"Hungry are you? Here eat up." He set the tea on the coffee table and handed me the bowl, before seating himself down on the couch.

I did just that. I took the fork sticking out and grabbed as many noodles as it and my mouth could hold at once.

"Oh great, you started the movie," he stated casually, throwing his arm around me.

My face started burning again and I tried to focus on my bowl of noodles but I had already finished it. Instead, I grabbed my cup of tea and started sipping on it. The hot liquid not only tasted delicious but it brought a bit of warmth into my body. I drank more of it and before I knew it, it was all gone. I pouted to myself and wrapped the blanket tighter around me hoping I would be warm enough. I'm sure I looked like a purple and black marshmallow.

An hour and a half later, we were finished with the first Harry Potter movie and on to the second. I was freezing again and wasn't even trying to hide it. My teeth were chattering so hard I thought they would fall out and my head felt like it was trying to kill me. I tried holding my head in place with my hand but that was shaking so bad I almost ended up hitting myself. I felt so bad that I started crying.

Jake took one look at me and then moved into action.

"Holy crap your freezing! Come here," he said pulling me towards him and wrapping his arms around me. He was so warm I didn't even protest. I moved the rest of my body closer to his.

"Brr! You're cold! But are you feeling better?" He ran his hand up and down my blanket covered back.

I nodded my head and smiled weakly up at him.

"Good. I'm glad," he whispered and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. He left his palm resting on my cheek for a minute and I could feel it burning against my skin. I looked into his eyes. His gaze seemed to hold me there. I couldn't look away but then again I don't think I wanted to. I noticed his lips move as if he was going to say something but he closed them and tore his gaze away from me and stared back at the TV. My eyes shot downward. Slowly I looked back at the screen too, but I was only half-aware of what was going on.

The second movie soon ended and Jacob got up quickly to put in the third one. When he came back, he lied down on the couch and pulled me on top of him. HHe didn't even say anything. He just wrapped his arms around me and fixed his stare on the movie. I didn't do anything either. I long ago had stopped shivering, as I was so warm against his skin.

As the third movie played on, I started feeling slightly tired. My eyelids kept closing and I finally caved in, letting them. I figured I would just rest my eyes for a while and then continue watching the movie.

I was soon fast asleep.

What felt like only a few moments later I heard a loud buzzing noise. It wouldn't go away so reluctantly I opened my eyes to find out what it was. The first thing I noticed was how dark it was and that the TV was flashing the DVD menu of the movie. I could have sworn we were just halfway through it. I checked the clock sitting on top of the television. It read five fifty-three.

The buzzing noise was so loud now that it seemed to be right next to my ear. I lifted my head and saw Jacob fast asleep, snoring. For a moment, all I could do was stare. He looked so peaceful and relaxed. Everything about him seemed so innocent that I couldn't help but smile. Then he started snoring louder and I did the only thing my half-awake mind could think of: I brought my hand to his face and plugged his nose.

"Pfft wha…?" he snorted, waking up.

He opened his eyes slowly and it seemed to take him in a second to realize where he was. His eyes shifted around the room for a moment and then landed on me. A smile spread out across his face as he saw me with my chin propped up on his chest, moving up and down with his breathing. I found heartbeat to be very comforting.

"Comfy?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

I responded with a smile and nuzzled my face in his neck. He was indeed comfortable.

"Crystal," he whispered playing with my hair. "Crystal there's something I have to tell-"

Just then Charlie walked through the front door and flicked on the living room light.

"What are you kids doing?" he asked, eyeing us suspiciously.

I jumped off of Jacob and scrambled to the end of the couch burying my head in my blanket. It was as if I was a little kid caught in the act of trying to steal a cookie, or something worse. I wasn't good with confrontation. Jake, on the other hand, handled the situation a little more maturely.

"Hey, Charlie," he began, sitting up on the couch, "Crystal here has been sick for the better part of the day so I thought I would come over and take care of her while Bella was off at work. We were just watching Harry Potter when, I guess, we fall asleep,"

"Well, Crystal, I hope you're feeling better?" Charlie asked, putting his gun away.

I looked up from my blanket and smiled softly at him.

"Did Bella say when she would be home?"

"Oh I think she mentioned something about going over to a friend's house," Jake replied, searching through the channels for a sports game.

"Oh well then I guess I'll order a pizza for dinner," Charlie said, sitting down on the recliner. "Jacob, are you staying for dinner?"

"Sure, I'm starving," he chuckled. "Oh, and Charlie, I was wondering, if Crystal feels up to it tomorrow, would it be okay if she came down to La Push for dinner. You could stop by too. I'm sure Billy would enjoy it."

"Yeah, okay," Charlie replied, only half-listening. He was too transfixed on the game.

"Alright, here we go now!" he shouted at the telly.

Jacob threw his arm around my shoulder and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "What do you say, Crystal? Would you like to come over for dinner?"

His voice made my ear tingle and my breathing quicken. I was too scared to look at him for fear of what my face looked like, so I just nodded eagerly.

First, I got to spend the whole day with Jake, now I got to have dinner with him tomorrow night. I didn't know why but I couldn't stop smiling. The idea of hanging out with him just made me so incredibly…happy.

Then I felt it again. That burning sensation, as if fire was running in my veins and that fluttering feeling…as if a thousand butterflies would burst from my stomach all at once. I'd never felt it before and I couldn't help but wonder if Jacob felt the same.


	4. A New Wolf

_Burning Bright_ 04  
**A New Wolf  
_Jacob's POV_**

* * *

"_Dude, are you really sure you want to be doing this?"_ Quill's voice sounded in my head.

_"Yeah, I mean look, she's cute and all but if Sam finds out he'll rip one out of you,"_ Embry put in.

One of the disadvantages of running in wolf form is absolute no privacy. I honestly don't think there is any secret I have that my pack doesn't already know about. None the less, I know all theirs too. Sometimes it's nice knowing that you're not alone and that someone is always going to be there for you. Other times you just feel like an open book put on display for the whole world. Every thought, every movement, hell, even every secret desire is shared among us. Not that we have a choice. However the fact that we can see where everyone is even if we aren't near each other is useful, especially when the vampires are coming onto our land. I wouldn't want to miss the chance of ripping out one of their throats.

_ "Guys, relax, I got this,"_ I reassured them. _"Just give me a heads up for when Sam is around, okay?"  
_  
I took off running toward the direction of Forks. Normally I probably would have taken the Rabbit but it's late and I didn't want Charlie to poke his head out and see my car parked near his house, plus it's a lot faster to run as a wolf.

Finally I reached the familiar house, but before approaching I circled the area a few more times to make sure the filthy leech wasn't anywhere near by. When I was sure the air was pure I transformed behind a couple of trees and pulled my shorts on. Again another one of the disadvantages of shape shifting but at least I didn't get cold anymore and I could totally show off my abs. Edward might be made of stone but I could take him.

I walked up to the window in the back of the house of where Crystal was staying in. I peered inside and sure enough there she was asleep on the little bed pushed against the wall. She was tossing and turning but I was sure that she was deep in sleep. Silently I lifted the window up and crawled through. Her room was much smaller than Bella's and the unpacked luggage didn't help any but I managed to maneuver around them to her bed.

She didn't look peaceful sleeping but she still looked cute. Her nose was scrunched up causing a little crease to form on her forehead. A sound like a whimper escaped her mouth and rolled over onto her side facing me. I set the back of my palm on her forehead worried that she still might have a fever. To my relief her temperature felt normal. Not that I would know what normal human skin felt like anymore. Since my transformation my skin was always burning.

I sat down on the edge of Crystal's bed and stroked her hair. She stirred a little but relaxed back into sleep. A small smile pulled at the edge of my mouth. Every time I gaze at her I feel this warmth inside me. Not like my abnormal body temperature but that warmth you feel during summer when the sun is shinning and you're lying out by the sea. The warmth just felt right.

Suddenly I just wanted to wake her up and tell her everything. Let her in on my pack's secret. Tell her how I've imprinted on her and I think she's the most amazing thing ever. Assure her that I care so deeply for her and that I -

My thought was cut short as I heard someone howl in the forest, Sam no doubt. Sighing I leaned over Crystal to kiss her on her forehead and then stood up to leave. I crawled back through her window and shrugged out of my shorts. Another howl pierced that night.

"Yeah, I'm coming, oh great pack leader," I muttered to myself.

Just before I was about to transform I heard another howl but I didn't recognize this one. It didn't sound like anyone in my pack and they sounded like they were in pain.

"Dammit, I was only gone for five minutes. What the hell?"

I quickly transformed and started running as fast as I could toward the reservation. It didn't take long before someone noticed my presence.

Paul was the first to speak. _"Oh man you are so dead."_

His laughter echoed inside my head.

_ "Enough,"_ Sam barked. _"Jake, someone else has changed. Get down here now."_

I started running faster and in about three minutes I was standing between Sam and Paul. In front of me was what appeared to be a pink wolf.

_ "What's going on? What happened to me?"_ His thoughts were yelling in our heads and he was howling and whining like mad.

_ "Calm down. You've just transformed is all,"_ Sam stated calmly having dealt with this before.

_"What do you mean I've transformed? I'm a human damn it!"_ By now the pink wolf was running around, slamming into trees.

_"Yes, but you're also something more,"_ I said stepping toward him.

_ "Stay back!"_ the pink wolf shouted. _"You dirty wolf! Stay back!"_

Paul scoffed. _"Dirty wolf, huh? Well I guess you're one too then."_ He started growling.

_"Shut it, Paul!"_ Sam ordered.

_ "What's your name?"_ I asked the pink wolf.

_ "Sc- Scotty,"_ he whined. _"Will someone please tell me what's happened?"_

_ "Listen Scotty, you remember our tribe legends about our great ancestors? How they started changing into the great wolf protectors when the cold ones came?"_

_ "Yeah but I thought that was just a myth."_

_ "So did we but look at all of us. We are now the protectors of our people and you are one of us."_

_ "Will I be able to turn back into a human and go home?"_ Scotty asked settling down.

_"Of course you will,"_ I said.

_ "Scotty, you will be able to go home, but you cannot let anyone know of this secret and when the tribe needs you, you must be here,"_ Sam ordered the power of the Alpha underlying his words. _"And you'll have to dye your hair a more natural color. People might start getting suspicious if they see a pink wolf running around."_

Scotty trembled a bit and his head bowed beyond his will.

_ "Okay."_ Scotty's voice was just whisper.

I hated when he did that. I know he means well but just the thought of taking away someone's free will just angered me. That's part of the reason I just couldn't be Alpha of the pack.

_ "Anyways,"_ Paul finally spoke, _"Let's see if we can't get you back into your normal form."  
_  
_ "How do I do that?"_ Scotty asked.

_ "Like this."_

In a few seconds Paul changed from wolf to human and back to wolf.

_ "I don't think I can do that,"_ Scotty admitted.

_ "Don't worry kid, you'll get it,"_ I assured him.

_ "Jake? Why don't you go home? Paul and I will get Scotty settled and then Quil is supposed to come check in soon. Go home and get some rest."_

I nodded my head and started heading back towards my house. I figured I would change before I made it to all the houses.

_"Oh, and Jake,"_ Paul started.

I turned back around to see Paul with his tongue hanging out in a goofy wolf way and Sam almost smirking as he spoke.

_ "I can't wait to meet Crystal tomorrow."_


	5. Why Does It Hurt?

Burning Bright 05  
**Why Does it Hurt?**  
_Crystal's POV_

* * *

I was in a much better mood when I woke up. My fever was gone, my nose was clear and I just felt terrific. I hurriedly got out of bed and made my way to the window hoping to be greeted by the sunshine but to my disappointment the sun was blocked by clouds and it was starting to drizzle and that's when I remembered. I was supposed to go to Jake's today.

All of a sudden it felt like a brick landed in my stomach. It's not that I didn't want to see it, in fact for some reason I couldn't wait to see him and that scared me. I didn't know him too well but he seemed like a really nice guy but I wondered what he thought of me. The brick in my stomach got heavier.

Trying to push the thought back into my head I went to go take a shower and get ready for the day. I grabbed some clothes and started toward to bathroom in the hallway. When I opened my door a delicious aroma met my nose. I followed it into the kitchen to see Bella standing over the stove making breakfast. Bacon was placed on a plate on the table and she was mixing some pancakes batter. I grabbed a strip of bacon and started munching on it. I was hungry after not eating anything but a bowl of ramen noodles the day before.

"Good morning, Crystal," Bella said once she noticed I was standing there. "Are you feeling better?"

I smiled and nodded to let her know I was feeling much better.

"That's good because I heard you were going over to Jake's today. I think he said he would be picking you up around one so make sure you're ready. I have to stop back into work today but I'll see it I can't stop by later."

My cheeks started burning and I wasn't hungry anymore. I threw the rest of the bacon strip away and continued toward the bathroom.

It didn't take long to shower and get dressed. By the time I was done it was already eleven. Only two more hours before Jake would be coming to get me. I was so excited and nervous I couldn't stop fidgeting. It would be a while before he would arrive so I figured I might as well find something to do. Going back into my room I started digging through my luggage trying to find a book I bought before I came here. After a few minutes of searching I gave up on looking for it and began unpacking instead. I would be staying here for a long time after all so I might as well get everything straightened.

I started putting my clothes away into the dresser and closet. I realized that I had a lot of tee shirts and I really need some sweatshirts since the temperature here was colder than that of Arizona. After all my clothes were put away I started getting out some of the C.D.S and books I brought and arranged them on the little bookshelf. I even found the book I was looking for. I took it with me into the living room and sat down on the couch to start reading. However as soon as I did I heard a knock on the door. I stood back up and looked at the clock that read 1:07. I was shocked. I couldn't believe two hours had already gone by. There was a knock on the door again and I scrambled to answer it almost tripping over the remote left on the floor. I stood holding the doorknob for a second. I took a deep breath and then opened it.

"Hiya, Crystal. Are you ready to go?" Jake asked grinning down at me.

My cheeks were burning and I didn't do anything for a moment but stare at him. So far every time I've seen him he made my skin tingle like it was being licked my cold flames. Why do I always feel this way?

"Um, Crystal," Jake said again snapping me out of my thoughts. "I said are you ready to go?"

I felt incredibly stupid having dazed off like that. I stared down at my feet as I was sure my face was tomato red and nodded my head. I closed the door behind me and started walking off the porch but somehow I ended up tripping over my own feet. I was sure my face was about to meet the ground but I felt a strong arm grab me around the middle and set me back up right. The arm felt like fire and I gasped before squirming away. I looked up at Jake and he had a look of surprise and hurt. I felt bad, like I had just done something awful to him. I didn't mean to fall like that and I was thankful he caught me but why was his skin so hot?

I started chewing on my bottom lip waiting for him to do something. Finally I heard him chuckle and I looked up to see him walking to his car.  
"Well let's not just stand here all day. We should get going," he said getting into the drivers seat.

I nodded and hurried to the passenger's side and slid into the seat. Once we were buckled, Jake backed out of the driveway and started off down the road. The drive was silent but it wasn't one of those awkward ones. Jake just drove and I stared out the window.

It wasn't long before we pulled up to what I assumed was his house. It was slightly smaller than Charlie's and looked similar to a log cabin. I gazed down the streets and noticed all the houses looked like that. I also noticed that there were a few cars parked around his house and the sound of music could be heard from the backyard.

"Well this is it," Jacob said with a sigh. "It's not much but its home."  
I just smiled at him. I thought it was pretty cute and cozy place.

"Anyways, I have no idea why there seem to be people here so let's go see, shall we?" He smiled at me and after taking the keys out of the ignition he got out of the car and I followed suit. I stayed a few paces behind him as he made his way into the backyard not sure of what I would be greeted with.

We approached a gate and as he opened it I could see a some people mingling around. They were all chatting and drinking sodas and someone seemed to be making hamburgers on a grill. As we got closer the people noticed us and a two boys started walking over to us.

"Hey Jake how's it going?" the taller boy asked.

"Paul, what's going on? Why are you all in my backyard?" Jacob asked, glaring around at everyone.

"Oh yeah, your dad called us all over for a cookout. He said something about you bringing over Crystal." Paul said.

My ears perked up at the sound of my name. Had Jacob been talking about?

"Hey where is she anyways? I wanna meet her!" The shorter boy said. He looked about my age and seemed slightly hyper.

Jacob looked back at me and grinned.

"Don't be shy, Crystal. You don't need to hide behind. But if need be I'll protect you."

My cheeks started burning and I stared down at everyone's feet as I stepped from behind Jacob. Suddenly a hand was thrust under my face. I looked up and saw the short guy beaming at me.

"Hiya, I'm Seth! It's a real pleasure to meet you," he said almost yelling in my face.

I smiled awkwardly and shook his hand. As I did I noticed his skin was just as hot as Jacob's. I dropped his hands and stared back down at my shoes.

"Um, Crystal, why don't we go inside and get a soda or something," Jacob leaned in to say into my ear.

I bit my bottom lip and nodded my head. I felt too uncomfortable being around people I didn't know. Getting away from them was sure to leave me feeling less awkward.

We started walking towards the house when someone called Jacob's name.

"Yeah, dad?" he shouted back.

"I need you to come over and help me with the grill. Darn thing's not working right again.

"Be right there," he sighed. "I have to go help him real quick but just make your way inside and grab a soda. I'm sure there's some food in there as while if you're hungry."

He went to go help his dad and left me standing there by myself surrounded by complete strangers. I know he didn't mean to do it on purpose but I just felt utterly alone.

I sighed and made my way into his house for a drink. Maybe some sugar in my system would make me feel better. As soon as I stepped through the door a young woman came up to me and stuck her hand out.

"Hello, I'm Leah, Seth's older sister. You must be Crystal. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said politely waiting for me to shake her hand.

I shook her head and smiled awkwardly like I had done with Seth. For some reason it didn't shock me that her hand was as hot as everyone else.

"Jake hasn't said much about you but from what I know your Bella's cousin right?" I nodded my head at her question.

"Yes, Bella's a lovely girl and Jake has had the biggest crush on her since she moved here last year. They use to hang out all the time. Well until her boyfriend came back into town. Now they hardly speak to each other. Poor Jake, his heart must have been so broken. I swear he's in love with the girl."

_He's in love with the girl._

Leah continued speaking but I didn't hear what she was saying. All I could think of was Jacob being in love with my cousin. No wonder he's been so nice to me. It's only so he could get closer to Bella again.

I could feel tears well up in my eyes and I just felt like I had to get out. I walked past Leah and into the living room where the front door looked to be. She asked me where I was going and I didn't even look back at her. I didn't even know where I was going but I just had to leave.

I walked out the door and onto the road. I wasn't sure how to get home so I just followed the road. It was better than being stuck back there.

I'm not sure how long I was walking and I'm not sure if I was crying anymore. It was raining now and raining hard. Before I knew it I was on a beach staring out into the ocean. I sat down on a log, attempted to dry my eyes and just stared for awhile. Until I heard something howl behind me.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a long time. Too much was going on with school and now I have to do Summer School. Blek. But anyways so that was chapter 5 and I'm sorry it's kinda crappy. My friend that usually edits this is out of town but I figured it would be better to get something out to so soon. Anyways! Since this one was suckish and kinda short compared to the other you can chose if the next chapter should be in **Jacob's or Crystal's POV. **Which ever you guys wanna hear for the next one. Right so go message that to me so I can get writing on it! 3


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